Avoiding Travelers Depression

by Free Traveler on May 12, 2012

Staying positive sounds easy and obvious, but often the twists and turns of the road can leave you feeling in the dumps. If you don’t make an active effort to remain positive, your mind will spiral down into ever increasing unhappiness. If this happens, no matter what country you are in, happiness will elude you. Unfortunately, many travelers succumb to their depression and remain there for the duration of their trip. In the following, you will find some of the most common reasons for depression and their solutions.

Loneliness:

One of the main reasons why travelers begin to feel depressed is due to loneliness. This is especially true for solo travelers. When you are alone for long periods of time, it is often easy to feel isolated and even resentlful. In the result, some travelers become introverted. Eventually this stance becomes a habit and it distances you from others.

The key to combating loneliness is to continually make an effort to socialize with others. If you have anxiety, try and recognize its source, put the fear into perspective and then conquer it. If you are worried about what others think of you, remeber that everyone is more worried about themselves than about you. In order to get the love, you need to give the love. So, if you socialize, let down your defenses and spread positivity and love, you will make many more meaningful connections and do away with your loneliness for good.

High Expectations: Another reason why travelers experience depression is due to holding unreasonably high expectations. We all have a tendency to romanticize certain places. However, often times, when we finally arrive at our destination, it isn’t as cool as we had imagined. To avoid this, simply do away with your expectations. Try to even envision the worst and be grateful when the place is just average.

Drugs and Alcohol:

Drugs and alcohol are also factors that can lead to depression. While you’re on the road backpacking, there are plenty of opportunities to drink and do drugs. In fact, you may even find yourself doing them every night. This is not always because you particularly want to but more often because everyone else is doing it. Since drugs and alcohol create a degree of artificial happiness, you become less able to create happiness on your own. This can lead to dependency and ultimately depression. In order to avoid this, don’t give in to peer pressure. Drink every other night instead.

Eluding depression and remaining positive requires discipline. It requires you to be actively think positive no matter what. If you manage to do so you will surely meet wonderful people and have great times. You may be invited for dinner at a local’s home or you might even discover your exotic lover. By avoiding the former pitfalls and staying positive, you will make the most of your travels and be grateful that you did. So good luck, safe travels and stay positive. For more on becoming a positive free world traveler, check out The Tao of Free World Travel.